1
What's the one class at Lafe Nelson School every student should take?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
471
Elementary
DISTRICT 528 · STATE 451
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SAFFORD UNIFIED DISTRICT (4218)·NCES 040724001030
Lafe Nelson School
1100 S 10TH AVE, SAFFORD, AZ 85546 · (928) 348-7020 · Graham County
GRADES KG–06ELEMENTARY33-TOWNREGULAR SCHOOL471 STUDENTS
C+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 44% of Arizona public elementary schools
- B-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ·Beats expectations Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
- C-Three-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Arizona public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
22.4:1
21 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 20.7:1 · STATE 17.0:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
STATE 95%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 85 | 18% |
| Grade 1 | 67 | 14% |
| Grade 2 | 68 | 14% |
| Grade 3 | 79 | 17% |
| Grade 4 | 59 | 13% |
| Grade 5 | 54 | 11% |
| Grade 6 | 57 | 12% |
| Ungraded | 2 | 0% |
This year's kindergarten class (85) is 49% larger than its 6th grade class (57).
Student demographics
53%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 53% · STATE 65% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Lafe Nelson School→Safford Middle School
Based on grade levels within Safford Unified District (4218). Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
AASA 2024-25 . % PassingEnglish Language Arts
38.0%
AZ avg 45.4% . -2.0pp since 2017
Math
38.0%
AZ avg 37.8% . -11.0pp since 2017
What this means: On the AASA, Arizona's statewide test, about 38 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 38 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Arizona schools, those numbers are about 45 and 38. Reading and writing scores are down about 2 points since 2017, while math scores are down about 11 points.
AASA results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 38.0% | 38.0% |
| 2023-24 | 32.0% | 32.0% |
| 2022-23 | 41.0% | 39.0% |
| 2021-22 | 43.0% | 46.0% |
| 2020-21 | 45.0% | 45.0% |
| 2018-19 | 45.0% | 53.0% |
| 2017-18 | 40.0% | 49.0% |
% Passing, all students and all tested grades.
Source: AASA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where Lafe Nelson School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Arizona | In Graham County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 38.0% | #405 of 1,072 ▲ 88 | #3 of 10 ▲ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 38.0% | #486 of 1,072 ▲ 131 | #4 of 10 ▲ 4 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -6.5pp | #170 of 930 | #2 of 9 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 471 | #553 of 1,223 | #5 of 12 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 22.4:1 | #920 of 991 | #6 of 7 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 52.5% | #539 of 1,007 | #2 of 7 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -4.3% | #639 of 721 | N/A |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
471
+60 (+15%) vs 2020
-35% since 1990-91, when it was 723
Student : Teacher
22.4:1
was 16.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 471 | 21 | 22.4:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 462 | 18 | 25.7:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 455 | 22 | 20.7:1 | 56% (253) |
| 2020-21 | 411 | 25 | 16.4:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 492 | 24.5 | 20.1:1 | 55% (270) |
| 2015-16 | 528 | 24 | 22.0:1 | 67% (353) |
| 2010-11 | 548 | 29 | 18.9:1 | 72% (397) |
| 2000-01 | 698 | 36 | 19.4:1 | N/A |
| 1990-91 | 723 | 33 | 21.9:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Lafe Nelson School.
Since 2017-18: students down 4% (492 to 471); teachers down 14% (24.5 to 21).
About Lafe Nelson School
Lafe Nelson School is a public elementary school run by Safford Unified District (4218) in SAFFORD, Arizona. Enrollment is 471 students in 2024-25, and the school serves kindergarten through 6.
Enrollment across the 6 schools in Safford Unified District (4218) totals 2,874 students.
Roughly 58% of students at Lafe Nelson School are Hispanic. Other groups include 37% White and 2% Native American. By comparison, Graham County residents are about 31% Hispanic. Pick two students at random and there is a 53% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.
Dividing enrollment by its 21 full-time-equivalent teachers gives a ratio of about 22.4:1. That is 5.5 students per teacher above the 17.0:1 average for elementary schools in Arizona.
allk12 grades Lafe Nelson School a C+. The grade compares the school only with Arizona public elementary schools, because each state gives its own test.
Recent Census Bureau figures for Graham County show that the median household income is $67,325, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 15%, and roughly 14% of residents are in poverty. Besides Lafe Nelson School, Graham County has 31 other public schools.
The nearest other public school, Ruth Powell Elementary School, is about 0.2 miles away. There are at least 8 more public schools inside five miles.
NCES describes the area around Lafe Nelson School as Town: Remote, meaning in a town far from an urbanized area.
Enrollment is up 15% from 2020-21, when Lafe Nelson School had 411 students, to 2024-25, when it had 471. The ratio was 16.4:1 in 2020-21 and 22.4:1 in 2024-25.
Discussions about Lafe Nelson School may include school events, clubs, and volunteer needs. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Graham County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
39,232
Census ACS
Median income
$67,325
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
15%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
14%
Below federal line
Schools in county
32
6,927 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Safford Unified District (4218)
- Safford High SchoolHigh · 828 students
- Ruth Powell Elementary SchoolElementary · 575 students
- Dorothy Stinson SchoolElementary · 539 students
- Safford Middle SchoolMiddle · 375 students
- Mt Graham High SchoolHigh · 86 students
- Henry Dunkerson Pathways AcademyElementary
Other schools in SAFFORD
- Safford High SchoolHigh · 828 students
- Ruth Powell Elementary SchoolElementary · 575 students
- Dorothy Stinson SchoolElementary · 539 students
- Safford Middle SchoolMiddle · 375 students
- Triumphant Learning CenterElementary · 101 students
- Mt Graham High SchoolHigh · 86 students
Nearby schools
- Ruth Powell Elementary School0.2 mi · 575
- Safford Middle School0.3 mi · 375
- Safford High School0.4 mi · 828
- Dorothy Stinson School0.8 mi · 539
- Triumphant Learning Center0.9 mi · 101
- Mt Graham High School1.7 mi · 86
Frequently asked questions
About Lafe Nelson SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Lafe Nelson School?
Lafe Nelson School enrolls approximately 471 students in grades KG-06.
What age range does Lafe Nelson School serve?
Lafe Nelson School serves students from grade KG through grade 06.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lafe Nelson School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Lafe Nelson School is approximately 22.4:1 (21 FTE teachers).
How diverse is Lafe Nelson School?
Lafe Nelson School reports a student body of 37% White, 58% Hispanic, 1% Black, 2% Two or more.
Who oversees Lafe Nelson School?
Lafe Nelson School is overseen by Safford Unified District (4218) in Graham County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.